Guest Post - One Artsy Mama

I'm so excited to have my first guest poster at Love Bug Living today!  A special welcome to Amy from One Artsy Mama!  She was so sweet and generous to give me some tips and advice on my blog, so I'm very happy to have her here today!

Hi!  I'm Amy, aka One Artsy Mama, and I'm excited to be here at Lovebug Living today to share a holiday craft with you.  I've been married to my best friend and dance partner for almost 10 years now, and we have an adorable 3-year-old son I like to call my "Little Crafter."

I'm passionate about my family, ballroom and latin dance, and Jesus.  I'm addicted to Starbucks.  Peppermint mocha, anyone?

I love doing artsy-craftsy things of all kinds and am happiest when I'm creating something.

I especially enjoy making things with Little Crafter. 

Today I want to share with you a simple, inexpensive holiday craft that's fun to make whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or both like us!

Several years ago, our Bible Study group read a book that changed everything for us.  We began to see that understanding the Jewish culture and religion {especially as it was in the first century} actually sheds light on what Jesus taught and deepens our own Christian faith.  As a result, we celebrate the major Jewish holidays along with the Christian ones, and we look for how they point us to Jesus Himself.

So, each December, we not only put up a tree, but we get out our menorah and dreidels...

...and our friend Matt makes these delicious potato pancakes called latkes.  A quick background: Hanukkah is a time when the Jewish people remember a great military victory.  Judah Macabee led the people in guerilla warfare and defeated Antiochus and the Greeks who had taken over the temple.  Once they got the temple back, they had to rededicate and cleanse it because a pig had been offered on the altar.  During the rededication, there was only enough oil to last for one day, but it miraculously lasted for eight...long enough for the temple to be dedicated back to God.  The menorah with its eight lights reminds us of the oil lasting for eight days, and the latkes fried in oil represent the same thing.  For a really fun look at the holiday, I highly recommend this book:

It's absolutely hilarious, like all of Lemony Snicket's books, and it has lots of good Hanukkah facts too!

Anyway, a holiday wouldn't be a holiday in the Artsy Family without a good craft {or ten}.  So, we decided to make these Star of David ornaments...which could also be made into pins or magnets if you don't have a Christmas tree too!

CRAFT STICK STARS

Materials per star: 6 small craft sticks, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, craft glue, glitter

{optional: cord, magnetic tape, or pin backs}

STEP 1: Paint craft sticks and let dry.

STEP 2: Rub each stick with craft glue and sprinkle glitter on top.  Let dry.

*Special thanks to Craftprojectideas.com who sent us the glitter we used as part of a holiday craft kit!*

STEP 3: Form two triangles made of three craft sticks each and glue together. 

Then, glue the triangles together; one right side up and one upside down to form star.

STEP 4: Attach cord, pin back, or magnet.

You can make different variations of these...at Passover, we did a glitterless version and made them into placecards.

You could also use regular sized craft sticks for larger stars.  And, if you're not into celebrating Hanukkah but want to do something similar, you can do the same thing for steps 1 and 2, then make a snowflake instead.

That's all there is to it!  Cheap, easy, and fun for even the littlest of crafters.  Thanks for letting me share a little about our holiday celebrations with you today, and thanks to Melissa for having me here at Lovebug Living.  I'd love to have you stop by One Artsy Mama to visit sometime; making new friends is the best thing about blogging!  If you're looking for seasonal inspiration, I have an ongoing link party called {Our} Home for the Holidays where you can find ideas for Christmas, Hanukkah, Advent, and New Year's...I'd be thrilled for you to join us.

Whatever holiday{s} you celebrate, I hope you have a blessed, joyful season filled with love and crafting!